Glasgow, 1953: the war may be over but the battle for the streets is just beginning. Three crime bosses control the murky streets, but a small-scale con is trying to invade their territory. The balance is shifting. Lennox, a hard man in a hard city at a hard time, finds himself caught in the middle – a dangerous place to be.
One night, a body is discovered on the road, his head mashed to pulp, and Lennox is in the frame for murder. The only way of proving his innocence is to solve the crime – but he’ll have to dodge men more deadly than Glasgow’s crime bosses before he gets any answers.
The first in a unique and memorable crime series, Lennox is gritty, fast-paced, mordantly funny and totally compelling.
My Rating: 5/5
My Review:
Ok…so I was chatting to Graham Smith – whose books, by the way…are bloody awesome– on social media and he asks if I have ever read any of Craig Russell‘sbooks. I immediately did what any self respecting blogger would do …..and checked my kindle…NOPE. Mr Smith proceeds to totally big up this Craig Russell guy…and then suggested I would enjoy the #Lennox series. So yeah…I downloaded book 1. I was easily persuaded….
OH-MY-FRIGGIN-GOD #bookjunkies! Where the hell have I been!? This book was published in 2010 and I have only read it now!? I have to give a MAHOOSIVE thanks to Mr Smith for pointing me in Craig Russell’s direction as this book rocked!
As the synopsis states, this book is set in 1950’s Glasgow and has a very hard-boiled / noir-ish feel to it, if that makes sense! It reminded me of a Philip Marlow-type story and I was immediately drawn in. A twisted sense of justice, retribution, truth-seeking, betrayal, gang-land violence, power and loss were just some of the themes I came across.
Now can we talk Lennox!? OMFG!!!! I am not going to lie…I was Eeeeek-ing…A LOT!! This character is just awesome! Whether we gals admit it or not, we do like a bad boy…and Lennox…he is baaaaad…but oh so gooood!!! I may have a wee #FictionalCrush..Born in Glasgow, but raised in Canada – he returns to Glasgow after his time in the war and works as a somewhat unorthodox private investigator. Lennox has a darkness about him. His dry wit and ability to uncover the truth, while finding himself in pretty scary situations, just had me reeling with excitement and fear at the same time. It was exhilarating following this characters journey…and what a bloody (literally) thrilling journey it was!
We also come across a slew of other intriguing characters which make your skin crawl but keeps the reader turning the page at a fiery pace! The Three Kings, Helena (loved her!) Mr Andrews and his wife Lillian – superb characterisation. There is also McNab – a copper…but I do not like this guy! There is no love lost between him and Lennox yet I am desperate to know more! Jack Ferguson, another copper – is someone Lennox has a bit of trust in and they serve/complement each other well. But I must admit, I loved the complete irony of the brutes named Tiny (who was not-so-tiny at all) and Twinkletoes….do NOT be fooled by their names…this pair could break you like a twig! I could go on and on…oh, and De Jong! Laughing my ass off just thinking about this guy…you will have to read the book though, to find out why!
I devoured this book. It was raw, gritty, dark, violent and intoxicating – just my cup of tea! Will I be reading any more in this series? Hmmmmmm….HELL YEAH I will! I have a lot of catching up to do and cannot wait to see what Lennox is up to next!
So thanks Graham Smith! You were RIGHT! I adore Lennox and would recommend it to anyone who likes a crime thriller with a twist. Head over to amazon via the link below and check it out!
